In an interview with Main Event Radio, former WWE Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella commented on his current health and his post-WWE life.

“Health is awesome. I recently did laser light therapy on my lower back and my back feels like I’m in my 20’s. Unbelievable. I tried it on my neck though and after double fusion [surgery] it’s not bringing my neck to how I want it to be. My mobility for day-to-day life is perfect. Because I was off with my injury, they had the option to extend my contract for as long as I was off. At first they were going to do that and be extended until 2017, and instead they decided not to invoke their clause and have my contract expire in June [of 2016]. And that was it. I said, they treated me and my family really well.

It was a weird day. I was about to leave on a trip to Florida with my wife and I saw the office calling. That was it, the run came to an end. It was liberating though, life after WWE here we go. I started Battle Arts while I was off with my neck injury. I was able to focus on my business. When my contract expired and they opted not to renew it it wasn’t too bad as I was focused on Battle Arts. Battle Arts was this hybrid dojo in Japan where MMA fighters and pro wrestlers would train together with a focus on submission wrestling. It was that style that got me noticed and I stood out a lot because of that style. Asuka trained there too. We provide very strong submission wrestling and from there MMA, wrestling, or both.

I’m starting at Sportsnet doing the Aftermath show in November. There was discussion with WWE of me taking on a non-wrestling role. I thought it was going to be Smackdown GM but I guess they decided to give it to someone else but that’s fine. If I did go back now it would have to be on a one-day a week schedule and I could probably swing that. People come up to me in public all the time and say it isn’t the same without me. It’s all the time that I hear this. Must be something to it that people are missing you. I was the real people’s champion. I came from the audience, 5’10, not overly muscular. I see a lot of kids looking up to me. Every dog can have its day, miracles can happen. People related to it, they can visualize themselves as seeing anything being possible.”

The interview is available in full at this link.